Trailers and other wheeled devices used for hauling equipment are well known and some of which are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 76,856 [Dray], 3,342,508 [Thomas], 3,757,972 [Martin], and 3,945,521 [Decker]; all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The Decker patent discloses a towing trailer that is particularly suited for the hauling, loading and unloading of power driven equipment, such as snowmobiles or lawn tractors. The trailer of the Decker patent comprises a turntable that allows the trailer bed, on which the power driven equipment rests, to be rotated 180.degree. so that the power driven equipment originally driven onto the trailer bed and facing the towing vehicle is now facing away from the towing vehicle, thereby, allowing the power driven equipment to be driven off of the trailer in a forward direction. Although the trailer of the Decker patent serves well its intended purpose and allows the power driven equipment, such as a snowmobile, to be driven onto and off of the trailer bed in a forward direction, the trailer does not have any provisions for allowing the snowmobile to be driven onto or off of the trailer bed from either side thereof which presents certain drawbacks. For example, frequently, because of the operation of road scrapers, snow is piled along the side of a road to substantial heights.
Presently, most trailers which are able to accommodate snowmobiles (or other powered trailers) do not permit (as does Decker) the forward motion of the snowmobile. An operator must back the vehicle off the trailer, sometimes requiring a great deal of effort to push the vehicle in the reverse direction.
Further, it is extremely difficult to lift a snowmobile over a steep snow bank caused by road scrapers or plows, and it is certainly impractical to position the trailer and its towing vehicle transversely across a road, so that the trailer bed of the Decker patent may be arranged and rotated 180.degree. to allow the snowmobile to be driven therefrom in a forward direction and thus bypass the lifting thereof over the snow bank. It is, however, desirable for the trailer and the towing vehicle to be arranged in parallel orientation to the roadside and allow the trailer bed to be rotated 90.degree., as well as being placed in an inclined state so as to come into contact with the ground, all of which allows the snowmobile to be unloaded from the side of the trailer. If such side unloading of the snowmobile could be provided, it would not only bypass the lifting of the snowmobile but also not substantially impede the flow of traffic on the road.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a trailer having a rotatable trailer bed to allow power driven equipment to be driven onto or driven off from either side, or from the rear, of the trailer.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide for universal joint means that accommodates for the side loading/unloading by allowing for pivotal movement of the trailer bed in both the horizontal and vertical planes.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a locking device for securing the trailer bed so that the power driven equipment may be safely hauled.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide for a universal joint means that is located on a plane lower than the trailer bed so that the overall center of gravity of the trailer bed is kept low, thereby, contributing to the operational stability of the trailer as it is being moved at driving speeds.
Further objects and features of the present invention will become evident hereinafter.